Was TNG less progressive than TOS?

[Nyotarules]

Melanin challenged?
That's a bigoted statement for sure.

Sarcasm not your thing then? Context is for those who read.

 

[Mutai Sho-Rin]

Melanin challenged?
That's a bigoted statement for sure.

Nope, it is pretty funny and socially relevant.

 

[Nakita Akita]

Is it funny to say
'Over melanated'?
Or
'Hyper melanated'?

 

[Anthony60]

Yes, TOS was more "progressive" although I don't care for that word. I also don't care for "outdated" either. Roddenberry wanted to show a future where all the world's people have put aside their differences and now get along for a common cause. He never wanted to show human v.s human conflicts. Such things would not exist in Roddenbery's future. He never meant Star Trek to be... i can't find the right words... a sideshow for the SJWs, so they can feel superior to others.



400 years from now, there probably will be no baldness, and no blindness, and no "disabilities". And likewise, no gender, sexual or reproductive dysfunctions, either. I rejected Geordi's blindness becuse it was ridiculous, and likewise homosexuality or transgenderism... it doesn't seem like they will exist once we find the cause and the cure. in 400 years they will probably be able to take a few cells from your body and clone any organ you need replaced, or possibly repair the damaged organs in place with no surgery. Genetic defects or hormonal imbalances that affect the mother and/or the unborn child will probably be detected and fixed during routine checkups during pregnancy... so some social justice causes make litte sense to me in the context of Star Trek.

And Tasha was terrible in that role.

Yes, it stands to reason that by then any of those things can be manipulated during the pregnancy. For Christ's sake, you can grow a new kidney in minutes by taking a pill!
They seemed to be careful not to go into any details about how the economy worked, I think they knew that to replace money and have everyone all happy would be getting way deeper than they could possibly explain.

 

[Anthony60]

Melanin challenged?
That's a bigoted statement for sure.

I don't know if it's bigoted, to me, it's more like it doesn't make any sense.

 

[Nerys Myk]

People with less melanin. It's not that hard to parse.

 

[Anthony60]

People with less melanin. It's not that hard to parse.

Ya, I'm just not sure it is possible to be "melanin challenged".

 

[Tenacity]

I think it's the use (misuse) of the word "challenged," as if the amount of a persons melanin could ever be wrong.

 

[KennyB]

Which would assume for 600 years all of Picard's ancestors came from one place...France, considering in 2020 the number of people from the EU and other backgrounds who are making babies together Picard's ancestors should be a mixture of Nigerian, Ghanian, Afro Caribbean, French, British and Slovakian and coming from a UE where global migration is as easy as catching a bus he would be a 100% French as I am 100% Japanese (and both my parents, 4 grand parents and 8 great grand parents had brown skin and afro hair)

Have you viewed his DNA somewhere? Seriously is it in a high res screen cap somewhere?

 

[jaime]

It was a joke. A play on ‘you can’t say short, he is vertically challenged’ or ‘it’s wrong to say bald, he is follically challenged’. Trust me when I say I would be first to jump on a double standard or racism, and I suppose in a different context someone could jump all over the phrase as being anti-albino or disrespectful to those suffering from certain skin conditions, in this case, NyotaRules was making a joke in context.
See..he’s not white, he is melanin challenged.

Since Nyota is black, and here I am a white fellow, defending her joke, it’s possibly safe to assume it is not as offensive as people want to paint it.

 

[Nakita Akita]

It was a joke. A play on ‘you can’t say short, he is vertically challenged’ or ‘it’s wrong to say bald, he is follically challenged’. Trust me when I say I would be first to jump on a double standard or racism, and I suppose in a different context someone could jump all over the phrase as being anti-albino or disrespectful to those suffering from certain skin conditions, in this case, NyotaRules was making a joke in context.
See..he’s not white, he is melanin challenged.

Since Nyota is black, and here I am a white fellow, defending her joke, it’s possibly safe to assume it is not as offensive as people want to paint it.

My point is, in society today, one person's joke is the other person's insult.
Nobody is permitted to joke like that anymore.
There is no more joking permitted, it's the new normal.

 

[jaime]

My point is, in society today, one person's joke is the other person's insult.
Nobody is permitted to joke like that anymore.
There is no more joking permitted, it's the new normal.

Whilst I somewhat agree, I still Hope context has a role to play.

 

[Nakita Akita]

Whilst I somewhat agree, I still Hope context has a role to play.

You can joke with your friends and family, but beware the eavesdropper who will be shocked and offended and may report you.

 

[Orphalesion]

I think it's particularly difficult on the internet, both because mimic and tone of voice aren't available to let you in on something being a joke...and because there are people who really, actually, seriously have every opinion possible on the net and will defend it to the end, as we have already seen in this thread.

 

[at Quark's]

"Was TNG less progressive than TOS?"

It's an interesting question. Having lived neither in the 60's nor in the USA, it's impossible for me to estimate how much "risk" TOS actually took when (indirectly) showcasing their views on contemporary society. Nowadays you have all these "(one of the) first interracial kiss(es) on TV!" etc threads, but that's all just in retrospect.

I do know that when growing up in 80's Europe, TNG always felt pretty 'safe' to me, though (as in, not picking up too many truly controversial topics or viewpoints, generally).

 

[CorporalCaptain]

I thought it was pretty funny. I'm very melanin challenged, and I was grinning.

 

[fireproof78]

You can joke with your friends and family, but beware the eavesdropper who will be shocked and offended and may report you.

Learned that from retail.

 

[jaime]

Learned that from retail.

Never call famous goalkeepers a wanker when they come in your store. Not even in the stockroom, where someone who doesn’t like you can go and tell said goalkeeper.

 

[Phoenix219]

Of course he did. Roddenberry and Star Trek are all about being SJWs. It's at the core of what Star Trek is about.

I thought Star Trek was about exploring the frontier in an action adventure show described as "Wagon Train to the Stars" and to put money in Gene's pocket.

It wasn't until much later that they doubled down on the SJW aspect. Originally it was just a basic American "freedom and equality" message.

 

[Grendelsbayne]

I thought Star Trek was about exploring the frontier in an action adventure show described as "Wagon Train to the Stars" and to put money in Gene's pocket.

It wasn't until much later that they doubled down on the SJW aspect. Originally it was just a basic American "freedom and equality" message.

They still built the 'everyone (human) is equal and lives in peace and cooperation' message into the very basis of the show from episode one. It's literally the entire reason characters like Sulu and Uhura exist.